FORT HOOD, Texas -- A U.S. Army major allegedly opened fire Thursday on fellow troops in the heart of the giant army base here, killing 12 people and wounding at least 31 in one of the worst incidents of soldier-on-soldier violence in U.S. military history.

The shooting rampage by Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan was halted by a female civilian police officer who shot him, said Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, the top military commander on the base. The woman is expected to recover from wounds sustained in the gun battle, he said.

There's no reason to make a big deal about the details of this horrific act. Killing innocent people is killing; the reasons are just excuses.

There is however reason to applaud the actions of this single individual. While most flee danger, a rare few have the calling from within to confront it - at their own peril. I am in awe. She has my deep respect, and my wishes for a speedy recover.

Sgt. Munley, 34 years old, was credited by Army officials with firing the bullets that brought down Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychiatrist who allegedly opened fire in the base’s Soldier Readiness Processing Center on Thursday afternoon.

Survivors described the scene as chaotic: the lone gunman spraying bullets in all directions, unarmed soldiers falling, screaming, scrambling to respond. Many soldiers ripped off their uniforms to use as tourniquets; others ignored their own injuries to help those more gravely wounded.

Lt. Gen. Bob Cone, the top commander at Fort Hood, said Friday that Sgt. Munley and her partner responded within three minutes of reported gunfire. Gen. Cone said Sgt. Munley shot the gunman four times despite being shot herself. “It was an amazing and an aggressive performance by this police officer,” he said.

Sgt. Munley is in stable condition.

Sgt. Andrew Hagerman, a military police officer on the base, saw Sgt. Munley being loaded into an ambulance moments after the shooting died down. Nearby, Maj. Hasan, bare-chested and wearing military fatigue pants, was being treated on the pavement.

“She’s an outstanding officer,” Sgt. Hagerman said.

As word of her role spread, Sgt. Munley acquired ever more online fans. Many cited the bio in the Twitter feed believed to belong to the police officer, in which she wrote: “I live a good life… a hard one, but I go to sleep peacefully @ night knowing that I may have made a difference in someone’s life.”

Scores of soldiers from an engineering brigade for deployment to Afghanistan shortly after Christmas were milling inside the base's Readiness Processing Center. Some were texting friends. Others were calling parents. Others were idly watching TV as they waited for medical checkups.

Then, at once, gunshots. Authorities allege Maj. Hasan, wearing his military fatigues, came inside the room, firing again and again with two weapons.

Soldiers dove for cover, shouted, fell. The first 911 calls to the police station on base came in at 1:23 p.m. At once, an emergency call went out over the radio and officers from across the sprawling base rushed to respond.

Ms. Munley, 35, was nearby, waiting for her squad car to receive routine maintenance when she heard the commotion. An Army veteran and advanced firearms instructor, she raced over.

As she rounded a corner, she saw Maj. Hasan chasing a wounded soldier through the courtyard. He was holding out his weapon and looked as though he was trying to "finish off" the soldier, said Chuck Medley, director of emergency services on base.

Ms. Munley fired. Her first shot missed Maj. Hasan but he spun to face her and began charging, Mr. Medley said.

The time was 1:27 p.m., just four minutes after the initial 911 call.

Authorities have not pieced together precisely how many shots were fired during the running gun battle in the courtyard between Maj. Hasan and Ms. Munley. They did say she shot the suspect in the torso, knocking him to the ground. She took two bullets to her legs; both entered her left thigh and lodged in her right thigh. She also received a minor wound to the right wrist.

I hope she heals quickly. What I've read so far does credit to her courage, her spirit, and her training. While her gender makes good reading and fits nicely in this forum, her actions derive from who she is and her training not her second X. That said, she is on my current list of women to admire!

She's quite the pocket pistol. Duty before fear. Very little sense of self preservation in the face of a better-armed, larger, and more sociopathic adversary. It's the classic case of the sheepdog facing off the wolf - the type of paradigm spoken about by Grossman in On Combat.

On that subject... Here's a bit of trivia you may not be aware of. Remember my Ridgeback Maverick? Well check this out.

Quote:

As hunters, Ridgebacks in packs of 2 to 5 kept a lion at bay while the hunters came to kill it. The dogs worked in revolving groups to keep the lion occupied until the hunter arrived; the dogs themselves did not usually kill lions, but there are stories of pairs of them being able to kill smaller/young lions, and the breed was often used to kill smaller, unwanted animals around Southern African farms. Female Ridgebacks were often used more than males as the females tended to be more agile. When not used for hunting the dogs were beloved family pets, guardians of the property and able herders.

My belief? Gender does matter, in that we each bring something unique to a situation. The smart thing to do is acknowledge and take advantage of all the many differences among us.

I've been following the comment sections on various stories about the actions of Maj. Hasan.

Within the Wall Street journal "Comments" community, there has been quite a battle raging the past few months. Much of it has been around the Pakistani military's actions against the Taliban, who have attacked military, government, and civilian facilities in the past few months in and around Islamabad. There's a very large Hindu Indian readership who have been deriding individuals sympathetic to the Taliban and their ISI supporters. The ISI and the Taliban were the folks within Pakistan who plotted and executed a major terrorist raid within India. They've also been supporting the battle against NATO troops within Afghanistan. And now the chickens have come home to roost within the borders of Pakistan. I can name names now of posters on all sides of this online battle. And the posts are not at all pretty.

It appears that there might have been an opportunity for cackling in the radical Muslim world with Maj. Hasan's attack within our own military. As the story unfolds, it appears Major Hasan had been posting on various websites about how Muslims should rise up against their aggressors, and such actions should be considered heroic. Allegedly this was a prequel to Hasan's sick homicidal binge against unarmed men and women of the armed services about to be deployed to Afghanistan after Christmas.

But there's one problem with the finish to this story. Mr. Hasan was probably supposed to die a martyr, and be rewarded in heaven for his actions. Instead, he was stopped cold in his tracks by... (gasp) a tiny woman who was a better shot and a braver soldier than he.

Oops...

It appears the script didn't quite play out as it should have. And there are many online who are reminding misogynist sympathizers of the Taliban just how bad this all came out for them.

Can you say poetic justice? It's difficult to tell if there is (or should be) any diety we should thank for how things finally ended within Fort Hood. But one thing is for sure; you can't write a more interesting finale to this script.

At least six months ago, Hasan came to the attention of law enforcement officials because of Internet postings about suicide bombings and other threats, including posts that equated suicide bombers to soldiers who throw themselves on a grenade to save the lives of their comrades.

From what i understand, was sympathetic, but doesn't outright talk about an uprising.

Also, many terrorists themselves, with the exeption of little abudou or whatever his name was in Palestine who tried to be a suicide bomber and failed basically said the 72 virgin excuse, but Margolis talks about his talks with Mujahideen, and they laugh and joke about the 72 virgin thing as much as we do, same with Olivetti and his research on extremists.

Also, seems alot of people, including the army say it was one of many factors. Apparently he was going nuts too. Alot like Mr. Cho, and Cho had god talk as well. Ive been teetering in my views of his motives. Strong evidence for both views over his motives. I think it was a combination of factors, something broke the camels back however. He did work as a shrink, with soldiers suffering from PTSD seeking his counsel. Some say he went nuts.

"I die like Jesus Christ to inspire generations of the weak and the defenceless people." -Tech kid.

Contrary to my arguements, i do think it was mostly religiously motivated, but not an organized terrorist strike.

"They wouldn't treat him as if he is one of them. He was a major in the Army and other majors wouldn't treat him equally as a major should be treated," the cousin said. " 'Yes, you are a major in the U.S. Army, but you are still an Arab, a Muslim, you have your own traditions and values and we have ours.' He was bothered by that a lot. He wasn't respected as he should have been."

At least six months ago, Hasan came to the attention of law enforcement officials because of Internet postings about suicide bombings and other threats, including posts that equated suicide bombers to soldiers who throw themselves on a grenade to save the lives of their comrades.

From what i understand, was sympathetic, but doesn't outright talk about an uprising.

One of his officer peers (in an interview) spoke of this. If it was in print, I'd quote it. Alas it was a radio interview. But it wasn't necessarily a group uprising per se that he spoke of.

AAAhmed46 wrote:

i do think it was mostly religiously motivated, but not an organized terrorist strike.

That's a good characterization.

AAAhmed46 wrote:

"They wouldn't treat him as if he is one of them.

FWIW, his parents were Jordanian, but he grew up in northern Virginia. On his army records, he listed himself as Palestinian. Figure out that one...

I don't know what branch of the Muslim faith he associated himself with.

Nobody knows for sure the whole deal about him, Adam. But I think it's fair to say that anyone who engages in this kind of suicide/homicide mission is one way or another a bit off. Most of the kids who strap bombs on their bodies are disenfranchised and brainwashed. I put somebody like Hasan in the category of a Timothy McVey.

I don't see him suffering from PTSD, Adam, as he's missing the "T" part. Yes he treated people suffering from depression. But he never saw combat, never was in a combat zone, and didn't suffer any indignity that you and I didn't also experience when going through adolescence. He joined the military early and they paid for all his education. He had nothing to complain about, and hadn't (yet) been deployed.

Short, bald, and round, and no girls to love you? Get over it. Join a club, get a mail order Muslim wife, and get on with your pampered counselor life with military bennies.

You have to admit, Shana, that woman has some serious... ovaries![...]My belief? Gender does matter, in that we each bring something unique to a situation. The smart thing to do is acknowledge and take advantage of all the many differences among us.- Bill

Oh, I agree!

As for the differences in Gender, I'm not saying there aren't some differences, and I wholly agree we should take advantage of the differences among us....

...but taking that a step farther....that is the case completely disregarding gender. Everyone brings different things to the table, that is why one method does not work for all students.

In this case, her honorables are because of who she is, not because she is female...although, as you mention, it does add a bit of sweet irony to the whole story.

Our differences are what make us individuals....just like everyone else.

At least six months ago, Hasan came to the attention of law enforcement officials because of Internet postings about suicide bombings and other threats, including posts that equated suicide bombers to soldiers who throw themselves on a grenade to save the lives of their comrades.

From what i understand, was sympathetic, but doesn't outright talk about an uprising.

One of his officer peers (in an interview) spoke of this. If it was in print, I'd quote it. Alas it was a radio interview. But it wasn't necessarily a group uprising per se that he spoke of.

AAAhmed46 wrote:

i do think it was mostly religiously motivated, but not an organized terrorist strike.

That's a good characterization.

AAAhmed46 wrote:

"They wouldn't treat him as if he is one of them.

FWIW, his parents were Jordanian, but he grew up in northern Virginia. On his army records, he listed himself as Palestinian. Figure out that one...

I don't know what branch of the Muslim faith he associated himself with.

Nobody knows for sure the whole deal about him, Adam. But I think it's fair to say that anyone who engages in this kind of suicide/homicide mission is one way or another a bit off. Most of the kids who strap bombs on their bodies are disenfranchised and brainwashed. I put somebody like Hasan in the category of a Timothy McVey.

I don't see him suffering from PTSD, Adam, as he's missing the "T" part. Yes he treated people suffering from depression. But he never saw combat, never was in a combat zone, and didn't suffer any indignity that you and I didn't also experience when going through adolescence. He joined the military early and they paid for all his education. He had nothing to complain about, and hadn't (yet) been deployed.

Short, bald, and round, and no girls to love you? Get over it. Join a club, get a mail order Muslim wife, and get on with your pampered counselor life with military bennies.

- Bill

P.S. Think I'm being harsh? Talk to the families of the deceased.

Updated my info on this, yeah it was not PTSD, though why would he join the army?
I think SOMETHING made him change his mind to the point he started viewing his fellow marines as 'the other'

maybe he really did plan something like this from the beginning of his service.

Im more concerned now as the WHY doesn't make sense. THe sudden change...the strip clubs. I mean it shouldn't be a surprise, i heard the 9/11 terrorists drank and fornicated wildly , not exactly islamic behavior(some people say it was a cover but...i doubt it) i think these men fixate on one concept spirtually to the exclusion of all others(such as ascetism.) i hope i spelled that right....

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